When a veteran’s child turns 18, the family may assume VA dependent benefits end automatically. In many cases, however, a child attending college, trade school, or another approved educational program can continue to qualify as a dependent until age 23.
That additional disability compensation is only one piece of the picture. Depending on the veteran’s service, disability rating, and family circumstances, a dependent may also qualify for transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, the Fry Scholarship, or in-state tuition at a public college.
Understanding these programs can help veterans use the benefits they earned through military service more effectively.
Keep a College Student on Your VA Disability Award
Veterans with a VA disability rating of at least 30% may receive additional disability compensation for eligible dependents. The VA normally removes a child from a veteran’s disability award when the child turns 18.
If the child remains unmarried and attends an approved school program, however, the veteran may continue receiving additional compensation until the child turns 23 or stops attending school.
For 2026, the additional monthly amount for a child over age 18 attending a qualifying school program ranges from $105 for a veteran rated 30% disabled to $352.45 for a veteran rated 100% disabled. These rates are adjusted periodically, so veterans should confirm the current amount using the VA’s current rates for additional benefits for dependents.
To request continued dependency, the veteran generally must complete:
- VA Form 21-686c, Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents
- VA Form 21-674, Request for Approval of School Attendance
VA Form 21-674 is specifically used for a child who is at least 18 but younger than 23 and attending school. Veterans can submit the forms through VA.gov or mail them to the VA.
Veterans should submit the information before the child turns 18 whenever possible. If the VA has already removed the child, the veteran should apply promptly. The VA may restore the additional compensation and pay any retroactive amount owed.
Veterans must also notify the VA if the student:
- Stops attending school
- Gets married
- Changes schools
- Graduates earlier than expected
- Changes the anticipated graduation date
Failing to report a change can result in a VA overpayment that must be repaid.
Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits
The Post-9/11 GI Bill can provide substantial education assistance to a veteran’s spouse or children – but the transfer generally must be requested and approved while the service member is still on active duty or serving in the Selected Reserve.
Under the standard transfer rules, the service member generally must:
- Have completed at least six years of military service
- Agree to serve four additional years
- Have the intended recipient enrolled in DEERS
- Request the transfer through milConnect
- Receive approval from the Department of Defense
A veteran cannot begin a new transfer after leaving military service. However, after getting out, a veteran can revoke and assign benefits to a previously designated dependent. A good rule of thumb for eligible military members is to assign their spouse and each family member at least a month of transferred benefits. Then once out, the benefits can be moved around to the members that need them. Veterans should never assume that GI Bill benefits were transferred simply because their dependents appeared in DEERS. The transfer must have been formally requested and approved.
Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit percentages
The amount paid depends partly on the service member’s qualifying active-duty service:
| Qualifying active-duty service | Percentage of maximum benefit |
| At least 36 months | 100% |
| At least 30 continuous days and discharged for a service-connected disability | 100% |
| Purple Heart recipient for qualifying service | 100% |
| At least 30 months but fewer than 36 months | 90% |
| At least 24 months but fewer than 30 months | 80% |
| At least 18 months but fewer than 24 months | 70% |
| At least 6 months but fewer than 18 months | 60% |
| At least 90 days but fewer than 6 months | 50% |
Certain Reserve service performed may count toward Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility. Veterans and Reservists should ask the VA to review all potentially qualifying periods of service rather than relying only on their total time in uniform.
What Transferred Benefits May Cover
A dependent using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits may receive assistance with:
- Tuition and required fees
- Monthly housing expenses
- Books and supplies
- Certain licensing and certification tests
- Approved apprenticeships or on-the-job training
- A qualifying relocation from a highly rural area
At a public college, the VA generally pays the net in-state tuition and required fees at the student’s eligibility percentage. Private and foreign schools are subject to an annual VA tuition-and-fee cap. This means the benefit is not simply limited to “the cost of a state university.” The actual amount depends on the school, program, benefit percentage, and applicable VA payment limit.
Students eligible at the 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill level may receive additional help through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Participating schools decide how much they will contribute, and VA matches that contribution up to the approved amount. This amount is in addition to what the VA is already paying in tuition and fees, monthly housing allowance (MHA), and the book stipend.
However, the Yellow Ribbon participation does not automatically guarantee that every remaining dollar will be covered. Students should ask the school’s certifying official about available Yellow Ribbon funding before enrolling.
Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)
An eligible child using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits may receive an MHA when attending more than half-time. For students taking at least one in-person class, the allowance is generally based on the Basic Allowance for Housing rate for an E-5 with dependents in the ZIP code where the student physically attends most classes. Students enrolled entirely online are paid half of the national rate, which is currently $1,261/month. The allowance may be prorated according to the student’s benefit percentage and rate of pursuit.
A spouse using transferred benefits generally cannot receive the housing allowance. In contrast, the service member who transferred the benefit remains on active duty, but can receive it once the serving member is separated from the military. VA lists the current rules and payment rates on its website.
SURVIVORS’ and DEPENDENTS’ Educational Assistance—Chapter 35
Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, commonly called DEA or Chapter 35, helps eligible spouses and children pay for college, trade school, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and other approved education.
A spouse or child may qualify when the service member or veteran:
- Is permanently and totally disabled because of a service-connected disability
- Died as a result of a service-connected disability
- Died while on active duty
- Is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty
- Was forcibly detained by a foreign government or power
- Is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged because of that disability
Unlike the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the DEA generally pays a monthly amount directly to the eligible student. The student can then use the money for tuition, fees, books, housing, or other education-related expenses.
Beginning with programs that start on or after August 1, 2026, DEA can no longer be used for secondary-school education, including high school, GED-level training, tutoring, or academic remediation. It remains available for approved post-secondary education and training.
Chapter 35 Rates for the 2026–2027 Academic Year
For October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, the DEA monthly rates for college and other degree-granting programs are:
| Enrollment level | Monthly payment |
| Full time | $1,621 |
| Three-quarter time | $1,281 |
| Half time | $939 |
| More than one-quarter but less than half time | Up to $939 or tuition and fees, whichever is less |
| One-quarter time or less | Up to $405.25 or tuition and fees, whichever is less |
When the student attends less than half time and tuition and fees cost less than the applicable monthly amount, VA generally pays a lump sum at the beginning of the term.
For approved apprenticeships and on-the-job training, the monthly rates are:
| Training period | Monthly payment |
| Months 1–6 | $1,029 |
| Months 7–12 | $774 |
| Months 13–18 | $508 |
| Month 19 and beyond | $259 |
These rates are scheduled to take effect October 1, 2026. Families should confirm the amount using the official VA Chapter 35 rate page before making a school budget.
Students must apply for DEA or Fry Scholarship benefits using VA Form 22-5490. Beginning in January 2026, Chapter 35 students must also verify their enrollment each month to continue receiving payments.
In-State Tuition for Chapter 35 Students
A valuable protection for DEA recipients took effect August 1, 2022. Eligible students using Chapter 35 benefits may qualify for in-state tuition at a public college even if they have not established traditional residency in that state.
This can make a major difference for a veteran’s dependent attending an out-of-state public university. Residency procedures can still vary by state and institution, so the student should speak with the school’s veterans’ benefits office before classes begin. The VA provides additional details about in-state tuition under the Veterans Choice Act.
The Fry Scholarship
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill-style education benefits to eligible surviving spouses and children of certain deceased service members and Selected Reserve members.
A child or surviving spouse may qualify if the service member or Selected Reserve member:
- Died in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001
- Died in the line of duty while not serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001
- Was a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001
The Fry Scholarship may provide up to 36 months of benefits, including tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and money for books and supplies.
Eligible children may be married or unmarried. Age limits and expiration rules depend on when the child became eligible and when the death occurred. Rules for surviving spouses may also be affected by remarriage.
Some survivors qualify for both the Fry Scholarship and Chapter 35 DEA. In many cases, the survivor must choose one program, and that decision may be irrevocable. A limited exception may allow certain children whose parent died before August 1, 2011, to use both programs – one at a time – for up to 81 months of combined education benefits.
Because the interaction among Fry benefits, DEA, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation can depend on the survivor’s relationship and eligibility date, families should get an individual determination from VA before electing a program.
These Benefits May Work Together
A veteran may be able to receive additional disability compensation for a qualifying school-age dependent while that child uses an education benefit. However, eligibility for one program does not automatically establish eligibility for another.
Families should investigate every possible source of assistance:
- School-attendance dependency compensation
- Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
- Chapter 35 DEA
- Fry Scholarship benefits
- Yellow Ribbon contributions
- In-state tuition protections
- State education benefits for Veterans’ dependents
- Federal financial aid, scholarships, and grants
State programs are especially easy to overlook. Some states offer tuition waivers, scholarships, or other assistance to the children of disabled or deceased veterans. These benefits may be available in addition to federal VA education assistance.
A VETERAN’S Pre-College Checklist
Before a dependent begins college or trade school, the veteran should:
- Check the dependent’s status in VA records.
- Submit VA Form 21-674 before the child turns 18, if possible.
- Confirm whether a Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer was approved while still serving.
- Determine whether the Veteran’s rating is permanent and total.
- Check possible Chapter 35 or Fry Scholarship eligibility.
- Compare programs before making an irrevocable benefit election.
- Ask the school’s certifying official about Yellow Ribbon participation and in-state tuition.
- Review state-level education benefits.
- Complete the FAFSA and apply for scholarships.
- Keep copies of every application, approval letter, and enrollment certification.
Do Not Leave an Earned Benefit Unclaimed
Veterans spend years learning to accomplish the mission with the resources available. Approach planning for a dependent’s education the same way.
A child turning 18 does not necessarily end VA dependent compensation. A permanent and total disability rating may open the door to Chapter 35. A transfer completed before separation may provide up to 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. For surviving family members, the Fry Scholarship may cover a significant portion of college or career training.
The important step is to begin early. Veterans should review their records, talk with an accredited Veterans Service Officer, and contact the school’s VA certifying official before tuition becomes due. The benefits earned through military service can continue serving the family—but only when veterans and their dependents know to claim them.
DISCLAIMER: Benefit rules and payment rates can change. Veterans and family members should confirm current eligibility with VA or an accredited Veterans Service Officer before making enrollment or financial decisions.
